Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan Once Drank Beers Before Bulls Preseason Game: ‘Both Of Us Were Sick Of These Games’

NBA icons Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen once drank beers before a Chicago Bulls preseason game. 

Jordan and Pippen won six NBA titles together, three-peated twice and went undefeated in the Finals, so preseason games were meaningless to them.

“Michael and I drank a couple of beers prior to a preseason game,” Pippen wrote in his book. “Both of us were sick of these games, also meaningless. I couldn’t miss then, either.”

In Episode 6 of ESPN’s “The Last Dance” docuseries, Pippen, Jordan and Ron Harper are shown drinking beers in the postgame locker room after a Bulls win over the Orlando Magic on April 11, 1998.

“After a hard day, I would take Gatorade,” Jordan said. “But I don’t think so.”

During that same scene, Jordan told Pippen and Harper that his old Chicago teammates used to drink beer and smoke cigarettes at halftime. 

“Aye, if they go back 10 years ago, you’d see half the brothers drinking a case at halftime,” Jordan said. “When I first joined the team, they was drinking beers at half and smoking a cigarette. And you know what? Shit, they was getting the cigarettes from the coaches.”

Behind Jordan and Pippen, the Bulls became one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history.

Chicago defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1991 Finals, the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1992 Finals, the Phoenix Suns in the 1993 Finals, the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1996 Finals and the Utah Jazz in the 1997 and 1998 Finals. 

In two stints with the Bulls, Jordan averaged 31.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 2.5 steals and 0.9 blocks. He won five MVPs, six Finals MVPs, one Defensive Player of the Year Award, 10 scoring titles and three steals titles. 

Pippen also had two stints with the Bulls. He averaged 17.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.1 steals and 0.9 blocks. Pippen made seven All-Star teams, 10 All-Defensive teams and seven All-NBA teams as a member of the Bulls. 

Jordan finished his NBA career with averages of 30.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 0.8 blocks with the Bulls and Washington Wizards. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009.

Jordan is first in NBA history in points per game, fourth in steals, fifth in field goals and second in player efficiency rating. He holds the NBA record for most points (63) scored in a playoff game. 

Meanwhile, Pippen holds career NBA averages of 16.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.8 blocks with the Bulls, Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.